Inlet fitting for tanks



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 E. E. RIGBY INLET FITTING FOR TANKS- Oct. 26, 1948.

Fil ed Sept. 20, 1945 Oct. 26, 1948. RlGBY INLET FITTING FOR TANKS Filed Sept. 20, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l/WlE/VTOR A TTORIVEYS Oct. 26, 1948. RIGBY Y 2,452,394

I INLET FITTING FOR TANKS Filed Sept. 20, 1945 I s Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig.5.

x/mswmp 41W WW? Arrow/5x5 Patented Oct. 26, 1948 INLETFITTING FOR" TANKS Ernest Ephraim Rigby, Pcnwortham-, lreston,

England Application September 20, 1945, Serial No; 617,480 In Great Britain September 20, 1944 The present invention relates to improvements in inlet fittings for tanksof' the type adapted to automatically allow water to pour into a tank from a watersupply whenever the level of this is lowered, as for instance by the operation of a syphon.

In inlet fittings ofthis type in normal use the endof the water inlet pipe is adapted to be closed either by means of a spherical headed valve or by a rubber or leather disc carried in a piston head slid'abl'e in acylindrical guide, an extension of the outlet end. of the water pipe carrying at an offset point a pivot for a cranked lever for operating the valve and; having, a fioat at its opposite end.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the noise of" valves of this type when tanks are filling.

According to the present. invention a. water inlet control valve. fora. water. supply to. a tank providedwith a. water outlet preferably below the inlet to the syphon pipe and thus preferably below the lowest level of water in the tank, so that noise of water inflow into the tank is reduced to a minimum, a non-return air valve controlling a passage to the atmosphere from the water inlet pipe preventing syphoning back of water in the tank into the said supply pipe should pressure in this supply pipe fail.

The invention is further described with refer ence to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through a fiushing water tank,

Fig. 2 is a corresponding sectional elevation showing a modified form of valve as fitted to a flushing water tank,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation of a further modified form of non-return air valve as fitted to a flushing water tank.

In the drawings a tank I is provided with a water inlet pipe 2, the outlet 3 of which lies preferably below or substantially at the level of the inlet point 4 of the syphon pipe 5 of usual form disposed adjacent to the bottom of the tank, so that the outlet opening 3 from the water supply pipe is substantially at the level of the water remaining in the tank and thus noise of filling the tank is eliminated or becomes submerged almost immediately water enters the tank I after it has been emptied by syphonic action.

The opening 3 is controlled by means of a valve in the form of a ball 6 mounted on a spindle I pivoted at 8 to a lever 9 pivoted in turn at ill to a bracket II which can be conveniently mounted on the elbow [2 connected to the water 3 Claims. (01. 4-41 inlet 2 and has. a. float. l3: mounted: on arod H connected to it bypivot l=5..- Alternatively; the: lever B and rod M- may be made inone piece containing an elbow: bend.

l';he valve. E preferably seats upon a seating in the form of a moulded washer l6 of rubber or the like elastic material.v The ball 6 may: be loose and held in a cage to be. displaced: from. its seating: by a plunger.

In the construction of- Fig; 1,. in order to prevent. syphoning: back of water in the tank shouldthe: main supply in the pipe 2. fall; a non-returnvalve: ZBsisprovideds to allow air to enter the pipe 2*, through a connection 29'.v At. all other times the. valve 28: is maintained on its seating by the.

waterpressure.

In,theconstmctioniof'Fig. 2;. instead of a, ball such as 28, Fig; 1 a float 39 is provided. in the vertical extension 3|. of the elbow pipe l2. provided. with a seating 32. so that when this pipe I2 is under water pressure there will bane-escape of waterpastthevalve 303.

Now it will be appreciated that very long periods of time may elapse during which the flush- I ing system I is in general use before ever water supply in the pipe may fail, and thus the valve 28 (Fig. 1) or 30, 32 (Fig. 2) be called upon to operate, and that under such circumstances it may happen, unless other precautions are taken, that the valve 28 or 30, 32, respectively, may become stuck upon its seating, or, again, in the case of 30, 32, stick to the interior of the elbow tube 12, and be inoperative. In order, therefore, to ensure that this non-return relief valve will be always ready to operate, means may be provided to trip it from its seating against the water pressure in the pipe 2 on each occasion that the flush tank is operated, as for instance by setting the syphon into operation by raising the plunger 33 by the usual lever 34. It will, of course, be appreciated that any other known method may be used of setting the syphon into operation for the emptying of the tank I, the plunger 33 being indicative only of one of the well known types of effecting this.

In the arrangement of Fig. 1 a lever 35 having a pin and slot connection 36 with the lever 34 carries at its opposite end a pin 31 which on each operation of the lever 34 abuts against the ball 28 to force it from its seating against the water pressure.

A small shield such as 38 may be provided to deflect any water which spur-ts up from the opening in the top of the casing for the ball valve 28 to direct this down again into the tank I.

in the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 by way of example, the valve 30, 32, is tripped from its seating whenever the tank is flushed by syphonic action by means of a pin 39 on a bell crank lever 40 pivoted to a bracket 4| on the elbow tube I2, the opposite end 42 of which lever is within range of a projection 43 on the lever 9 connected to the ball l3. Inother words, instead of tripping the safety relief valve from the lever 34 operating under syphoni-c action, this valve can be tripped from the float in the tank.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, the pin 44 is made integral with the valve 28 and slides within an upstanding flange 45 disposed on top of the valve housing. A pin 48 is located beneath and adjacent to the valve 28 to serve as a stop. A

- said syphonic action, and means operated thereby light umbrella shield 46 is mounted on the pin 1 44 by means of a screw 41 serving as an antisplash device.

In order to reduce Wear on the valve 28, a washer 49 of resilient material is disposed between the valve 28 and the top ofthe valve housing.

' Movement of the valve 28 is actuated by a lever 50, pivoted at 5| and having. a projection 52 at its end remote from the valve 28 which is tripped by the water tank flushing lever 53.

I declare that what I claim is:

.1. A flushing water tank including in combination a tank, a water supply pipe projecting into the tank and having its opening disposed substantially at the minimum level of the water in the tank, a float control valve controlling entry of water from said water supply pipe into the tank,, a-zsyphonicdischarg-e meansfor water from said tank, means to put said syphonic discharge into operation, a connection on said water supply pipe communicatingv with the outside air, a valve on said connection normallv sealing inlet of air thereto, and means to positively. displace said valve, from its seating Whenever said tank is emptied by syphonic action.

2. A flushing water tank including in combination a tank, a water supply pipe projecting int the tank and having its opening disposed sub stantially at the minim-um level of the water it the tank, a float control valve controlling entr: of water from said water supply, pipe into thr tank, a syphonic discharge means for Water iron said tank, means to put said syphonic dischargr into operation, an air inlet'connection on said water pipe, a valve on said connection normally closing entry of air to said pipe, means to operate to displace the valve from its seat to prevent syphoning back of water in the tank into said supply pipe.

3. A flushing water tank including in combination a tank, a water supply pipe projecting into the tank and having its opening disposed substantially at the minimum level of the water in the tank, a float control valve controlling entry of water from said water supply pipe into the tank, a ,syphonic discharge means for Water from said tank, means to putsaid syphonic discharge into operation, a connection on said water supply pipe to the outer air, a valve on said connection to prevent syphoning back of water in the tank into said supply pipe should pressure in this supply pipe fail, and means connected to said float operated valve to displace said air valve whenever said float operated valve is displaced from its, seating. 1

ERNEST EPHRA IM RIGBY. V

, REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date a Horner July 13, 1943 

